Arrested LeT activist a registered voter in Bihar

Patna, June 7 (IANS) Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Mohammed Umer Madani, who was arrested by Delhi Police’s Special Cell Thursday, is still on the voters’ list in his native village in Bihar’s Madhubani district, officials said Sunday. Preliminary investigations by the Bihar police has revealed Madani is on the voters’ list of Balkatva village under Basopatti police station in Madhubani district as Mohammad Umair. He last visited the village three years ago to sell off his land, according to the villagers, a senior police officer said.

Village council head Madan Paswan told the police that Madani’s name not only figures in the voters’ list but also in the family survey undertaken by the state government. He said all in the village knew him as Mohammad Umair, not Madani.

Madani had also contested the 1980 state assembly election as an independent candidate from Harlakhi constituency but was defeated, Paswan said.

Madani’s father, Mohammad Shamshul Haque, who was a teacher in a madrassa in Varanasi, died long ago but his mother Saima Khatoon visits the village regularly.

Following Madani’s arrest in Delhi, the intelligence officials were alerted and asked to collect information about Madani and his activities, when it was found that he used to visit his native village in Madhubani.

However, the Bihar police has not received any information or request for information about Madani, said Additional Director General (headquarters) Neelmani.

Madhubani superintendent of police R.K. Rathi also said that so far, neither the Delhi Police nor any other government agency has approached him for any information.

However, official sources said here that a Delhi police team is likely to visit Patna with Madani. According to intelligence sources, Madani reached New Delhi from Nepal via Patna, staying in the Bihar capital before leaving for Aligarh, from where he reached Delhi.